Image: A hillside a bloom - a place where I run my ecohydrologic model RHESSYs

Image: A hillside a bloom - a place where I run my ecohydrologic model RHESSYs

Course description

Environmental Modelling: An overview.

Computer-based modeling and simulation are widely used tools in both practical environmental problem solving and in environmental research. Models give us a way to look at the world through a mixture of data and theory. A good model can help us to understand how the world works and how decisions that we make might change the world in ways that are important to us. There are many different types of models, from simple to complex, and models are often tailored to answer a specific questions. This course will give you skills that help you to choose which model, or modeling technique, is right for you - given the task at hand. The course will cover designing a new model and evaluating existing models. We will emphasize best practices, such as sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, that help to design and use models to reliably support environmental problem solving. This is a skills based course and we will use R (a data analysis and programming environment) as our basic platform.

Class will include a mix of lectures and in class hands-on examples, using students’ own computers. I will often provide an R-markdown document for you to go through prior to class so you can learn at your own pace and we will then use class time for the hands-on examples and assignments.

Teaching team

Instructor: Naomi Tague (https://tagueteamlab.org/)

Teaching assistant: Rachel Torres

Where we will be

Learning objectives

Computing

Tentative topics

Week Lecture topics
April 17 Into and Conceptual Models
April 24 Constructing Simple Models in R
May 1 Sensitivity Analysis
May 8 Choosing and Evaluating Models
Special Class Model Calibration
May 15 Dynamic Models
May 22 Stability and Sensitivity with Dynamic Models
May 29 Matrix Population (Discrete Dynamic)
June 4 Optimization and Wrap Up

Assignments

There are 8 assignments. Some assignments will be done in groups. Assignments will vary in length but most will be short coding assignments with a 1- paragraph write up. Assignments can be submitted as a link to your GitHub repository that has assignment files - the link will be submitted on Canvas - that way we can keep track of grading for each assignment. If you find GitHub too challenging then you can also submit files directly (if you do this, please make sure you zip multiple files together)

Protocols and Guidance